U.S. patent number 5,460,345 [Application Number 08/131,628] was granted by the patent office on 1995-10-24 for adjustable merchandise display system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Trevola Holdings Pty Ltd. Invention is credited to Thomas R. Trevaskis.
United States Patent |
5,460,345 |
Trevaskis |
October 24, 1995 |
Adjustable merchandise display system
Abstract
An adjustable merchandise display system mounted on a generally
vertical, apertured support surface or support members including a
plurality of clips supporting a generally horizontal load bearing
bar. Each of the clips is flat and of planar form with spaced hooks
on the outer edge thereof to support the clips in a vertical plane
at right angles to the support surface. Each clip includes a
through aperture that is serrated to cooperate with the bar whereby
the bar is non-rotatably engaged through the apertures to enable
the bar to be supported in a plurality of angularly displaced
attitudes about the longitudinal axis of the bar. End supports in
the form of cantilever brackets having inner ends engageable with
the bar support merchandise for display or storage.
Inventors: |
Trevaskis; Thomas R.
(Moorabbin, AU) |
Assignee: |
Trevola Holdings Pty Ltd
(Moorabbin, AU)
|
Family
ID: |
22450299 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/131,628 |
Filed: |
October 5, 1993 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/225.21;
211/175; 211/59.1; 248/222.13; 248/242 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
57/00 (20130101); A47F 7/005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47F
7/00 (20060101); A47B 57/00 (20060101); A47B
057/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;248/220.2,242,291,294,514,251 ;108/6
;211/170,171,99,193,105.1,59.1,175 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15273/83 |
|
Jun 1983 |
|
AU |
|
77169/87 |
|
Feb 1988 |
|
AU |
|
1419809 |
|
Oct 1965 |
|
FR |
|
1233370 |
|
May 1971 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Johnson; Blair M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Jacobson, Price, Holman &
Stern
Claims
The claims defining the invention are as follows:
1. A support system for an article, comprising supports for holding
the article at each end thereof, relative to a fixed vertical
structure, the system being detachably fastenable to the structure
and including a horizontal bar which at least in part is of
generally polygonal outer cross-section, said end supports
including cantilever brackets having inner ends engageable with
said bar, dips removably securable to the structure and each
defining an aperture adapted to receive the polygonal bar and
shaped to provide for the bar a plurality of stable support
positions in angularly displaced attitudes with respect to a
longitudinal axis of the bar.
2. A plurality of substantially rigid clips for mounting on a
gondola support system including a generally vertical, apertured
support surface, each of said clips functionable to provide a
complete but removable support, a load-bearing bar that is subject
to forces tending to twist said bar about its longitudinal axis,
said bar being supported in a horizontal position parallel to the
support surface by said plurality of clips each of said clips being
generally flat and of planar form having spaced hook means on an
outer edge thereof to hold the clips in a vertical plane at right
angles to the support surface and to the bar, each clip including a
through aperture receiving said bar, said aperture being serrated
to cooperate with a complementary formation on the outside of said
bar whereby the bar is engageable non-rotatably through the
aperture in the clip in a selected one of a plurality of stable
support positions in angularly displaced attitudes with respect to
said axis, and in each of which support positions the bar is
prevented, by said serrations in the aperture in the clip, from
rotation under said twisting forces.
3. A clip as claimed in claim 2 wherein the aperture's periphery is
serrated in a radially symmetric configuration to accommodate a bar
of regular-polygonal cross-section of N sides to provide N
different bar orientations spaced, each from the next, by 360/N
degrees.
4. A clip as claimed in claim 3 wherein the apical angle of the
serrations corresponds to the internal angles of the polygonal
cross section of the bar.
5. A clip as claimed in claim 4 geometrically based on two
concentric circles on which lie respectively outer and inner
vertices of the serrations, the radii of the outer (R) to the inner
(r) circles being in the ratio ##EQU4## where n is the number of
"rotational" positions the bar is required to assume.
Description
This invention relates to "gondola" and suchlike devices or systems
for carrying articles of merchandise for display and/or storage
purposes.
Our invention is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with
the display and/or storage of rope, twine and other flexible linear
commodities wound onto reels or "cones". These usually consist of a
hub on which the rope etc. is wound, and relatively large discs at
or near each end of the hub for confining the windings and for
facilitating the handling of the article, such as by allowing it to
be conveniently rolled along a floor. The hubs may extend axially
beyond the discs with a flange at each end, providing a space
between the disc and flange to receive a bar, or rail of a bracket
or like support.
A typical "gondola" assembly includes a suitably supported vertical
frame or "peg-board" defining an array of holes for receiving pegs
or hook-portions of brackets which having been positioned are
adapted, in co-operation with the board, to hold the bracket
securely cantileverwise extending out from the board to provide a
firm support for bars, shelves or the like. Alternatively, shelves
themselves may have a hook portions for reception in the holes of
the main support board.
The array of holes is usually square or rectangular and of
generally constant "pitch" vertically and horizontally.
Accordingly the present invention provides a support system for an
article to be held, between supports at each end thereof, relative
to a fixed vertical structure, the system being detachably
fastenable to the structure and including a horizontal bar which at
least in part is of generally polygonal outer cross-section, said
end supports including cantilever brackets having inner ends
engageable with said bar, dips removably securable to the structure
and each defining an aperture adapted to receive the polygonal bar
and shaped to provide for the bar a plurality of stable support
positions in angularly displaced attitudes with respect to a
longitudal axis of the bar.
But in order that the invention may be better understood reference
will now be made to the accompanying drawings which are to be
considered as part of this specification and read herewith. In the
drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a top plan of a system, according to a practical
embodiment of the invention, for supporting one end of a reel, it
being understood that a similar system is provided for the other
end;
FIG. 2 is a part section part side elevation of the system shown in
FIG. 1, across line 2--2 shown thereon;
FIG. 3 is a section across line 3--3 in FIG. 1;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are, respectively, perspective views of a reel
support bracket and a bar-supporting dip, being parts of the system
shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3;
FIG. 6 shows, in contrast to that shown in FIG. 2, an alternative
support position for the bar and bracket by the dip, and
FIG. 7 shows, in contrast to that shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, an
alternative dip configuration.
Referring to the drawings in more detail, there is shown one of two
end supports for a reel 8, for holding the reel on a
cantilever-like system extending outwardly from a fixed vertical
structure represented by a regularly-apertured peg-board 9 of a
kind known per se. The system or support consisting essentially of
clip 10, bar 11 and bracket 12 is detachably fastenable to
peg-board 9 by outer peripheral means on dip 10 shown as hooks 13
spaced correspondingly to the apertures in peg-board 9.
Bar 11 is of generally polygonal outer cross-section, or at least
it has parts of such cross-section, so as to be receivable in
stable or non-rotational relationship within apertures 14 in clips
10. In the illustrated embodiment the bar is of substantially
square cross-section and, correspondingly, the dip's aperture is
serrated with 90.degree. "teeth" to fit the bar corners, as best
shown in FIGS. 2 and 6.
Cantilever-like brackets such as 12 support rods 15, 16 upon which
rest end-flanges such as 17 of reel 8. Rear hooked portions 18 of
brackets 12 are engageable within suitably spaced apertures in bar
11. The nature of the cable, twine etc. wound on reel 8 may be
identified by means of a display strip or panel 19 attachable
across the front portions of the relevant supports.
As best seen by comparing FIGS. 2 and 6, the shape of aperture 14
in clip 10 is related to the outer cross-section of bar 11 so as to
provide a plurality of stable support positions for the bar around
its axis. Thus in FIG. 2 there is shown a position wherein the bar
is engaged by the dip such that bracket 12, which is connected to
the bar, is somewhat declined from the horizontal. However in the
attitude shown in FIGS. 6 the bar is turned somewhat clockwise
relative to its FIG. 2 position and correspondingly the bracket is
somewhat raised.
A bar such as 11 forming part of the support system for one or a
number of reels or cones e.g. a row of horizontally-spaced cones,
may be hollow and of square or rectangular section. One or more
sides of the bar may be apertured to receive bracket hooks or the
like for supporting cones as aforesaid, or other articles.
Apertures in different sides of the bar may be of differing shape,
size and/or "pitch" (spacing), but apertures in the same side need
not necessarily be uniform in any of these respects.
If desired, one side or two adjacent sides of the bar could be
apertured for pegging to peg-board 9. Advantageously, however, the
bar is additionally or alternatively supported between dips such as
10 at each of its ends, the dips being themselves adapted for
secure fastening to the board e.g. by two or more hooks adapted to
be received and held within vertically-spaced holes in the
peg-board.
The illustrated preferred embodiment of bar-supporting dip is of
generally flat, square configuration with two or more
suitably-spaced hooks or tabs 10 projecting from one or more sides
of the square, and the specially-shaped central aperture 14 (to be
described more fully hereinbelow) for receiving bar 11, or at least
an end portion thereof, in close-fitting relationship.
By "suitably-spaced" in relation to the hook or tab spacing, is
meant that the tabs are spaced in accordance with the hole-spacing
("pitch") of peg-board 9. Clearly the tab spacing should be equal
to the pitch of the board, or an integral multiple thereof. However
different manufacturers tend to use different hole-pitches. With
this in view we may provide different hook or tab spacings on
different sides of the clip, as illustrated in FIG. 7, which
additionally illustrates a cruciform aperture 20 capable of
receiving a rectangular section bar.
The bar-receiving aperture could be of substantially complementary
shape to the outer contour of the bar. This, in the case of a
square bar, would clearly permit of four different bar orientations
with respect to the board.
Preferably however, the aperture is specially shaped so as to be
capable of securely receiving and supporting the bar in one or more
orientations or attitudes mutually inclined at less than
90.degree..
For this purpose the aperture may have an outline or periphery
serrated in a radially symmetric configuration, as shown in FIGS.
2, 5 and 6. If the bar be square, an ordinary square aperture
would, as previously indicated, afford four different attitudes or
rotational configurations for the bar. Such an aperture might be
considered as having a serrated circular outline with four "teeth"
at 90.degree. spacing.
An eight-tooth configuration could provide four additional bar
positions or attitudes. Assuming the outline were radially
symmetric, then successive positions would be at 45.degree..
The accompanying FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 illustrate a sixteen-position
square bar-supporting dip according to our invention, there being
sixteen "teeth" inclined, each to the next at 221/2.degree..
The supports are by no means necessarily limited to bars of square
cross-section. Apertures such as 20 (FIG. 7) may be shaped for
multi-positioning of rectangular and other cross-section bars.
In general, for maximum security of support, the apical angle of
the teeth will correspond to the cross-sectional angles of the bar.
Thus for a square or rectangular bar, the teeth will usually be
rightangled, although for a non-square bar they will usually be
asymmetric with respect to a radial line through the apex of the
"tooth".
It may be convenient to consider the aperture outline as being
geometrically constructed on the basis of two concentric circles,
on which lie respectively the outer and inner vertices of the
serrations. Clearly the radius (call it R) of the outer circle will
be equal in length to half of the diagonal of the outer cross
section of the bar. The radius (r) of the inner circle may be given
by ##EQU1## where n is the number of "rotational" positions the bar
is required to assume. For a basic square (4-position) aperture
referred to above with four "points" ##EQU2## which agrees with
geometrical notions for a square outline, because the outer and
inner circles will necessarily be those respectively circumscribed
about, and inscribed in, the square.
For the illustrated sixteen-position bar-supporting clip
##EQU3##
It will be appreciated that, in general, the dip(s) and bar will
need to be separated when it is desired to change the angle of the
bar.
It will be evident from the foregoing that the supporting system
provided by our invention is extremely simple and versatile.
* * * * *